Background: Menopause, also referred to as climacterium, is a period of multiple changes in the structure and functions of a woman organism. Objective: Determination of differences in body composition and fatty tissue distribution in women from groups discriminated based on their menstrual status. Material and Methods: The survey covered 312 women aged 38-75 years. Menstrual status of the surveyed women was established according to WHO guidelines based on answers to a questionnaire, and three groups were discriminated: women in the premenopausal period (group 1), in the perimenopausal period (group 2), and in the postmenopausal period (group 3)...

Background: Home methods of drinking water treatment through filtration have recently become quite popular. Objective: The aim of the study was to compare chemical composition of unfiltered water with water filtered in households with pitcher water filters. Obtained results were discussed in view of the effect of analysed chemical components of water on human health. Material and methods: Water samples were taken from water works supplies and from home dug wells from the agricultural area...

Background: Properly balanced diet and exercise are an essential element of healthy living for children and adolescents. Particular attention should be paid to nutrition and physical activity among juniors after cancer treatment, which is one of the most important elements of the convalescence period. Objective: The aim of the study was a comparative analysis of diet, physical activity of healthy children and adolescents with patients after cancer treatment. Material and methods: The study involved 60 children and adolescents; 30 healthy juniors and 30 patients after treatment for cancer...

Background: Children and youth constitute a group that is particularly prone to the effects of improper diet. In the puberty period, numerous significant lifestyle choices are made, for instance regarding particular nutritional behaviours which may be repeated later in life and may determine the state of health. Objective: The aim of the study was to assess nutritional behaviours of children aged 7-12 attending to primary schools in Biala Podlaska county (Eastern Region of Poland)...

Background: Providing safe food products to the consumer depends on the material and technology used and adherence to hygienic practices, throughout the production process. The degree of microbial contamination of a surface is an important indicator of equipment cleanliness and effectiveness of cleaning and disinfection. Used material, construction solutions and quality of the applied devices also have an effect on hygienic status. Objective: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the influence of the design and construction material of selected food storage racks, available on the Polish market, on their hygienic status...

Background: The introduction and maintenance of healthy habits in the field of physical activity at the early stage of life is particularly important for public health. With increasing of public awareness in physical activity, researchers are increasingly questioning its determinants in different age groups. In this paper we focus on variables such as age, sex and place of residence. Objectives: To determine what selected socio-demographic factors influence the level of physical activity of school youth from the eastern region of Poland in different domains of daily life...

Background: Exposure to alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy may lead to developmental disorders in the foetus and can also adversely impact pregnancy outcomes and the newborn’s health status. Objective: Assessment of alcohol consumption and tobacco use during pregnancy as well as their impact on pregnancy outcomes and birth parameters of the newborn in a selected group of mothers with children aged ≤ 2 years. Material and methods: The study was conducted in 104 mothers with children aged ≤ 2 years living in the Mazowiecki Voivodeship...

Background: Caloric restriction (CR) leads to decrease metabolic intensity, which results in a reduction of oxygen consumption and the amount of free radicals. This can affect the function of the liver. Studies show that caloric restriction does not alter or significantly increase the enzyme activity associated with gluconeogenesis, but the effect was different according to the age of the model animals. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the effect of caloric restriction on liver function in young and old ApoE/ LDLr-/- mice...

Background: In order to improve the quality of nutrition in care and educational institutions, in year 2015 a restrictive law regulation was introduced. The following year this regulation was withdrawn, and a new legal policy has been introduced. However, data on the impact of these legislations on nutrition in kindergartens are lacking. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the compliance with mandatory nutrition recommendations in preschools. Material and methods: The study included 706 institutions...

Background: Rational nutrition of infants and toddlers is essential for their normal growth and development, and for the development of proper nutritional habits. It should be preceded by proper planning. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate of the planning and organization of nutrition in nurseries. Material and methods: In the research conducted within the program “Eating healthy, growing healthy” (EHGH), 128 crèches from all over Poland participated...

The diet is directly connected not only with the physical status but also with the functioning of the brain and the mental status. The potentially beneficial nutrients with a protective effect on the nervous system function include amino acids (tryptophan, phenylalanine, tyrosine, taurine), glucose and vitamins C, E, D and beta-carotene, B group vitamins (vitamin B12, vitamin B6, vitamin B4, vitamin B1) and minerals (selenium, zinc, magnesium, sodium, iron, copper, manganese, iodine). The presence of antioxidants in the diet protects against oxidative damage to nervous system cells...

Over recent years, there has been increasing interest noted in those active substances derived from plants that show potential for preventing cancer development. The most promising candidate is resveratrol which can be found in large amounts in the skin of grapes, tomatoes and in red wine. Its beneficial effects on the human body are seen both in prevention and therapy. The anti-carcinogenic action of resveratrol is linked with its ability to neutralise reactive oxygen species and to modulate cellular processes such as apoptosis, and both cancerous cell proliferation and differentiation...

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a disorder often occurring in women at reproductive age. An important factor in PCOS pathogenesis is insulin resistance, which pronounces hyperandrogenism and leads to the development of various metabolic disorders Objectives: The aim of this study is to determine the effect of reduction diet with low glycemic index (GI) on anthropometric parameters of women with PCOS and the assessment of the effectiveness of the diet on body mass and adipose tissue reduction Material and methods: The study was performed on 24 women with PCOS diagnosed with Rotterdam’s criteria...

Background: The appropriate nutrition is an important component of the secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate if the patients with cardiovascular disease were informed of the role of appropriate nutrition in prevention or received nutrition guidelines and to assess the dietary intake compared to recommendations for patients with cardiovascular disease who received or not nutrition guidelines Material and Methods: The study was conducted among patients with cardiovascular disease (n = 127) of cardiological hospital clinic, aged 62 ± 11...

Background: In case of shortage of breast milk despite proper lactation care or the poor state of the mother’s health, breast milk from human milk bank is recommended for feeding preterm infants Objective: This study retrospectively evaluated the first year of the operation of the Regional Human Milk Bank Material and methods: Data concerning donors was collected in the human milk bank during the cooperation. The clinical characteristics of the recipients was made on the basis of medical documentation from the Holy Family Hospital in Warsaw, Poland...

Background: Alcohols are the most commonly used active substances in preparations for quick hand disinfection. They should be bactericidal in very short contact time. PN-EN 13727 + A2: 2015-12 standard, for testing hygienic and surgical handrub disinfection preparations, provides mandatory test conditions of disinfectants in contact times with the range of 30 s to 60 s (hygienic handrub disinfection) and 60 s to 5 min (surgical handrub disinfection). A short contact times for hand hygiene products require a short time of neutralization process...

Background: The links between dietary patterns, the perception of one’s body weight and diet as well preparing meals are poorly recognised in the literature. In order to develop effective nutritional education and focused interventions, more of such information is thereby required to improve the nation’s health Objective: To identify dietary patterns based on declared food consumption rates and subject responses on whether dieting, perception of body weight and diet and preparing meals are linked to such dietary patterns Material and methods: The survey was conducted in 2016 on 344 consumers chosen for age (20-65 years) and their consent for study participation...

Background: Adequate nutrition and nutritional status during pregnancy are essential for mother’s health and foetus development. Due to increased demands, pregnant women are vulnerable to inadequate nutritional status and paradoxically it may also affect overweight women Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate energy and nutrients intake in the group of pregnant women in relation to nutritional standards and pre-pregnancy BMI Material and methods: The study included 90 women, during the third trimester of pregnancy, recruited from Warsaw antenatal classes...

Background: Dietary patterns (DPs) are defined as the amounts, types and combinations of various food products in habitual diets and the frequency of their consumption. Dietary pattern analysis is usually performed in order to assess the combined effect of consumed food products on health Objective: The aim of the study was to assess and compare the nutritional value of dietary patterns identified in a group of patients staying on the oncological ward Material and methods: The study group consisted of 100 patients (51 women and 49 men) aged 19-83 years...